Four Fangs
by jhette
Summary: Alexis, a newly-turned vampire vigilante, catches the attention of a fanged friend and soon-to-be sidekick. The two become embroiled in a battle between gangs and crooked cops as they struggle to keep their identities secret, satisfy their appetites, and enact justice. Starts between chapter 23-24 in the webnovel. entirelypresentingyou .com
1. 001 - Birds of a Feather

001 — Birds of a Feather

It had been an hour since I started running, and I wanted to go home.

When you're running all you have is yourself, your feet carrying you through the hundreds of pounds of force of each step, the music from your headphones humming in your ears, and your thoughts, unceasing waves of consciousness. And my seemingly endless, newfound stamina gave me too much time to spend alone in my head thinking about matters I would really prefer not to. My stomach growled.

Like that one.

The frenetic guitar riff cut off as I yanked out the earbuds and dabbed the dripping sweat from my forehead and rubbed the stinging salt from my eyes. When I opened them, there was a girl walking in my direction, cutting through flower beds and hedges as if she were on a mission and had calculated the shortest path to her goal. Long, platinum blonde hair clung to her lean frame and her unsettling steel-gray eyes seemed to look right through me.

I stepped into the grass to let her get by, but she stopped right in front of me and stuck out her hand. "Just as I was getting bored. Hi, I'm Sera."

She'd mistaken me for someone else, the poor thing. "Um, who are you?" I said as I accepted her handshake. _Shit_, I thought. _Did I grip too hard?_ An equally strong squeeze from the weird girl assured me otherwise. I shivered in relief, remembering the drunken time I crushed a man's hand as easily as a rice ball.

"A friend. I'm like you."

I took a step back. _This girl is mental._ "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sera spoke, revealing unusually long and pointed canines. "What does blood mean to you?"

I froze. "What do you want?"

"I can help you."

If there was one thing I didn't believe in, it was the goodwill of humanity. And I hadn't exactly had good experiences with my kind either — the only one I'd met had torn me apart and left me for dead. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"I know what you've been up to." Sera leaned closer, her green shirt brushing against my own. "_Blue Moon_." She returned to her original position, allowing me my much appreciated personal space. "Actually, I've been looking for you. Didn't expect you to be like me though. What you've been doing, playing hero, it won't work. You need my help before you do something you regret — like I did."

After taking off her drawstring backpack, Sera rifled through it and pulled out a metal bottle, offering it to me.

I took it, confused. Mom always said not to take things from strangers. Guess I'm a bad child, but I already knew that. Tilting the bottle back and forth, I heard liquid slosh inside. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Probably, I can't read minds. Why don't you come sit?"

After a moment of hesitation, I followed her to the bench and sat at the opposite end, almost as far away as I could get.

"You can drink it now if you want."

I wanted. Wanted it enough that I didn't care I was in a city park surrounded by people or that I got this from a girl I just met. I unscrewed the lid and was overwhelmed by the sweet scent, my mouth moist. In a series of continuous swigs I downed the container of crimson ambrosia, all my senses brightening and electrifying as if it had jolted me from a nightmare into a more pleasant world.

"Sorry, it's a couple days old," Sera said.

"It's.." I struggled to rein in my laborious breathing, barely spitting out the words. "Fine."

A minute later, I composed myself. "How did you know it was me?"

Sera cocked her head. "Your aura."

"What's that?"

"The glowing fields around living things? Do you see them?"

I shook my head.

Sera's brow furrowed. "You might have one of the older versions of the virus."

"A virus, that's what this is?"

She nodded. "I used to think it was a curse. Sometimes, I still do. But the scientists I've talked to say it's a virus, one that has evolved over the years and split into different types. Most of those with the old virus are in Siberia and have a quite... antiquated lifestyle. They refused to cooperate with us and we decided it'd be better, for both sides, if we left them alone. Unfortunately, that means they've only studied the new virus, the one I have."

"A curse, huh. I feel that." Under an oak tree, a mom purchased a pink ice cream cone from the vendor and handed it to her child whose face lit up with innocent delight.

"It's not all bad though. We never grow old. We have incredible power." Sera laughed. "Yeah, that's about it."

"Is there a cure?" I asked, hoping.

"When have you ever heard of someone un-becoming a vampire? That kind of story doesn't exist. The scientists are too concerned with getting immortality for themselves and the rest of humanity. Once they crack that secret they'll research how to reverse it, but they're a long way from either of those things. Decades, even centuries away."

My heart sank at the news, fears confirmed. Sometimes, it's better to not have expectations, to not hope. This was one of those times.

"That blood you gave me, it wasn't free, was it?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my gut.

"It was. No strings attached. You can walk away right now."

_This is too good a deal. _"Then tell me why I shouldn't."

"If you let me join you on your _outings_," she said, putting air quotes around the word, "I'll give you more. As much as you want. Just let me be a hero for once in my life."

_This is way too good a deal._ "But… Why?"

Sera sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I tried. I tried to live a life without fighting. It's what I thought I wanted. It _was_ what I wanted. But I can't do it — not after everything I've seen and experienced, not after knowing what I can do, what I can change. Maybe some part of me thinks I can make up for what I've done, blood for blood. I doubt it will, but I still want to try."

"Well," I said, smiling, "if you want to be the Blue Moon's sidekick, you're gonna need a name."

"I've already got one — Red Knight."


	2. 002 - Rules are Meant to Be

002 — Rules are Meant to Be

In a storm, the eye is where you want to be; it's peaceful, calm, and most importantly, not being ravaged by one-to-three-hundred mile-per-hour winds. But this Eye was anything but — rather, it was the storm, an unholy clusterfuck of the most notorious gangs in Stephenville. And there I was, in the Eye, standing outside _El Carruaje's_ headquarters.

"You sure this is the place?" I asked.

Alexis set her gaze at her feet, the hood of her blue jacket up over her head. "Yeah. Can I wear my mask?"

"Absolutely not. We're here as customers today, not heroes. No reason to let them connect our identities together."

"But…"

Ignoring her futile pleas, I strode away, heading to the front of the warehouse. "Just watch and learn."

A flurry of footsteps sounded behind me as Alexis sprinted to keep up.

Decked out in a gaudy, baggy yellow tee and jeans, the man by the metal door stamped out his cigarette and approached them. "Never seen you before. Who are you? We're not expecting visitors." Two men with similarly poor tastes in fashion came out from the warehouse, probably notified from the text he sent on his ridiculously huge phone.

"I heard you sell things that are normally difficult to get."

"Who's asking?"

"A buyer." He sized us up, his eyes scanning every inch of me in that way I hated, reminding me of when I worked for BioPsi, when the soldiers and scientists studied me every day and forced me to do tricks like a fucking circus animal. Nausea rose in my gut. Breathe out. They're gone, it's over now, you never have to go back.

"What do you want? Weed, coke, molly?"

"No."

"Huh, so you girls are into the hardcore stuff. Well, we've got that too. Pick your poison: crystal, tar…"

I cut him off. "No, I want blood."

His eyelids lifted, eyes egg whites and black yolks. "Blood?"

"The red juicy stuff under your skin pumping through your veins and heart. Surely you know what that is."

The acrid tang of nervous sweat permeated the air. "Uh, can't say we get this request too often. Let me check."

I crossed my arms. Incompetent. Completely incompetent, this gang might actually be the worst I've ever seen. Do they have any idea how much money they can make from blood? Well, if they have any for me, I'm about to enlighten them.

Alexis fidgeted by my side. She had been keeping quiet like I told her to, good.

"How much do you want?" the man asked.

"Four liters." Asking for this much was likely wishful thinking, considering the sorry state of this _"El Carruaje"_.

He sucked in a sharp breath. "What kind?"

"Doesn't matter. Just needs to be fresh, refrigerated, and less than a week old."

"Alr-right," he stuttered, glancing down at his phone. "I'll bring it out."

My foot tapped against the dingy concrete while a plastic bag rolled past — an urban tumbleweed. Five minutes turned to ten turned to fifteen and twenty. What was taking so long? Right as I was about to storm in there, the man returned lugging an opaque paint bucket.

It was way over four liters, more like four gallons. Crouching down, I pried off the lid, instantly recoiling at the smell. Slowly, I stood up and looked him in the eyes as I kicked the bucket hard enough that it hit him in the chest with a thud, drenching him in its contents. Loosed from his grip by the slick substance, his phone fell into a red puddle on the ground. _Don't think the Apple Store can fix that._

"If I wanted pig's blood, I would have gone to the goddamn butcher. Would be a lot cheaper too, and I wouldn't have to deal with dumbasses like you."

Slipping on the blood, he fumbled for the gun at his hip but I was faster, swiveling behind him and pushing my knife against his throat before he could even remove it from the holster. Red dots bloomed around the edges of the blade.

A man with blond hair and droopy eyes burst through the front door. Around his neck looped a large gold chain and in his hands was a gilded machine gun. "What the shit is going on out here?"

"Your man brought me pig's blood, and I'm considering taking my business elsewhere. You know, a DIY project might be fun too." I increased the pressure on the knife, the blood now a steady trickle down his neck. The two other gang members cocked their pistols at me, hesitating to shoot and risk hitting their friend who I held in front of my body.

"Everyone, lower your weapons!" The blond man shouted, and they followed his orders.

He ran a hand through his slicked-back hair, the tone of his voice unsteady. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Let's be reasonable adults, uh, and teenagers here and settle this without violence. I'm sure he just grabbed the wrong thing, an honest mistake really. We should give him another chance."

"Fine, he gets one more try." I retracted my knife and backed away, fishing several stacks of hundred-dollar bills from my backpack. Like a juicy morsel, I waved them in front of me. "If you can get me what I want, I'm willing to pay this much, maybe even more money every week for something you sell little of anyway. If you shoot me, you're just hurting yourself."

"Nobody will be doing any shooting today. Once again, I apologize for this inconvenience. I will be right back with what you requested."

"Don't even think of cheating me again — I'll know."

"Wouldn't dream of it, dear."

The other two gang members guarded the door as he disappeared inside and they tensed, their hands hovering over their guns, stance at the ready.

After returning from where she'd run off to behind the tree, Alexis whispered in my ear, "Is this how it's supposed to go?"

"Definitely not," I whispered back, not letting the gang members out of my sight.

Their eccentric leader returned moments later with a bag of plastic blood packs instead of a bucket. "These should be more to your satisfaction."

After inspecting each one, I took two out and handed them back. "These aren't acceptable. Bring me two more."

His eyebrow lifted slightly. "What's wrong with them?"

"Too old."

Unconvinced, his expression didn't change. "You don't care what blood type? Or if it's clean?"

"No, and I wouldn't care even if it the plague was in it."

He mumbled to himself, "Didn't sign up for this Satanic shit."

_Neither did I, but here we are._

"I'm sorry but we don't have any replacements. This is all we have."

"That's fine. If possible though, I would like more next time." I zipped open my backpack and pulled out a black sack with five grand in it and tossed it to him. "Think of this as an investment. I'll be back next week."

He scrambled to grab the cash, eyes bright with greed. "Thank you very much, ladies," he said as he pulled a card out of his pocket. "Contact me if you need anything else."

I nodded as I took the business card, _huh so his name is Lawrence_, and slid it into my backpack along with my expensive meals.

We walked away and began the mile long trek to my car. "What would you have done if they started shooting? How did you know they wouldn't?" Alexis asked. Numerous stars spread out overhead, the city's pollution unable to hide the faraway glowing orbs from our inhuman eyes.

"I would've stopped them, and I didn't know for sure, just hoped."

"Would you have killed them, if they shot at you?" Now there was hope in her voice. Unfortunately for her, I was not about to indulge it.

"If it was necessary," I said.

Alexis stopped on the sidewalk under an oak tree, its orange and red leaves floating in the slight wind, some becoming entangled in her dark cropped hair. "You can't kill people."

_I can, I would, I have, and I will. _"Why not?"

"Heroes don't kill people." Her voice was ice. "Don't you want to be a hero?"

"Yeah, I do." _But just cause I want to be one doesn't mean I'm good at it._

"Well you're my sidekick, so that means you have to follow my rules."

"I don't know if I can. I'll try, but I can't make any promises. This isn't something I've been trained for." I knew how to fight, but I was only taught to kill. Torture too, when the occasion called for it, though they usually relegated that to someone else.

"That's okay, I don't have any training either. But I have another friend who's been helping me. He's a cop and his name, actually codename, is Hleuco." Alexis smiled because she didn't know the truth about what I've done — and I'm going to keep it that way.

"Huh-lu-co?"

"It's short for the scientific name of bald eagles. He's helped me get started with this whole hero thing — he's been my wings, got me off the ground."

"Oh, cool", I said, suddenly feeling unsure now that she had added another variable to the equation.

"I know," Alexis' voice quickened, excitement bubbling beneath her skin. "Why don't we go meet him?"


	3. 003 - Where There is Light

"No, you cannot use one-two-three-four as the code," Sera said.

"And I can't use my birthday either," I complained.

"Just pick something already!"

"Fine." I thrust my hand out and pressed the number my finger landed on four times.

Sera sighed. "Four-four-four-four, that'll do. You better remember it."

"I will." After I pushed the mini fridge under my bed, I concealed it with a blanket and positioned a box of old volleyball trophies in front.

"She won't notice?"

I shook my head. "No, she's too busy with work."

Sera nodded as if she understood when the familiar sound of a click of a key in a lock, the rustling of a generously sized purse, and the clatter of heels against concrete alerted me to the front entrance.

"Shit, why is she home?"

Rushing out of my room, we came to greet her.

"Hi, Mom." _Please don't ask what we were doing._

"Who's this?" she said in a harsh voice.

I sighed, relieved.

"A friend from school. I just transferred here. Name's Sera, nice to meet you." She smiled.

"You may call me Ms. Shiori." she said, face softening a little as she brought a circular white box over to the table. "I have something for you, sit down."

There was only one thing that could be in that box, and I sat down, dreading it. Sera took a seat next to me as my mom confirmed my fears, displaying a beautiful white and brown swirled sheet cake trimmed in red icing roses, strawberries, pineapples, and cherries, and covered in a light amber glaze.

"Wow, what a gorgeous cake. What's the occasion?" Sera said.

"Her birthday," my mom said.

"It's belated, but I hadn't celebrated it yet." I said.

"What kind of piece would you like?"

"A normal one is fine," Sera said.

Shiori wielded a large chef's knife and leaned her weight into it to cut through the still frozen cake, serving her a small square, the inside alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla cake and ice cream.

Fast enough that I almost didn't notice, Sera displayed a micro-expression of disgust, but quickly and smoothly replaced it with a pleasant smile, her eyelashes fluttering like she was savoring the bite. She swallowed, digging her fork in and hauling out another massive chunk. "Mmm, delicious. So sweet, and I like the chocolate ice cream."

_How did she do it? How could she pretend she was enjoying it?_ My mom glared at me and handed me a much larger slice.

"Where are you from?"

"Morocco. My parents were in the military, so we've moved around a lot. I'm glad to be back in the U.S."

"I bet you are, after the Casablanca Inferno and everything else that's been going on over there."

At the mention of Casablanca, Sera tensed and went silent.

"Sorry, I didn't mean... I can't imagine what it would have been like to go through that."

"I won't lie. It was horrible, and I'd rather not talk about it."

"I understand. Sorry for bringing it up."

I stared down at the gargantuan slice on my plate as if it was Mount Everest. As I lifted my fork with shaky hands, two girls burst through the door, visually polar opposites — María, with her enviable thick and glossy dark hair, bronzed skin, and rouged lips, and Katy, with her luteous straw-like hair, peach skin, and dull pink pout.

Grateful for the chance to abandon the table, I sprung up and greeted them.

"Who's this?" Katy asked, eyes narrowed.

"Uh, this is Sera." How was I supposed to explain our relationship? Thankfully, I didn't have to as she answered for me.

"I transferred to Stephenville High this week. Since I moved from Morocco, I don't know anyone here and she agreed to show me around and help me out," Sera said.

Why would she lie? They'll know she's not attending when they don't see her at school.

"Oh, well, I'm Katy."

"María."

"Sorry, but you'll have to put up with me for now."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Katy said, "as long as you're not a serial killer or something."

"Darn, guess I better leave." Sera got up and walked to the door, eliciting a series of cackles from the two girls.

"Yeah, you're definitely in," María said as she investigated the box on the table. "Ooh, a cake!"

"Want some?" I offered.

"Fuck yeah!" she said, promptly covering her mouth. "Sorry, Ms. Shiori."

"It's okay," my mom said, shaking her head.

"When cake is the question," Katy said, a glittery sack blossoming with pink tissue paper dangling from her hand as she pulled up a chair. "My answer is always yes."

"What's that?" I pointed at the sacks María and Katy had put on the table.

"Gifts for the birthday girl."

My mom disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a lighter and candles shaped like a one and a six. Once she was sure they were firmly planted in the cake, she lit them. A serious expression crossed Sera's face, and the flames rose higher and higher, extending to a height slightly taller than the candles themselves.

"Why is it doing that?" I asked, looking at Sera.

"Don't know." Sera shrugged, her face relaxed now.

"Cool." María stared at it with an eerie intensity. "Did you get those fancy candles?"

After sprinting to the kitchen and bringing out the packaging, Shiori read the label. "No, they are normal ones."

The flames lowered to a normal height, but not until they had melted through half the wick. I leaned over the cake, the off-key singing of friends and family in the background. Finally, the singing ended, and I blew out the candles.

_I wish I was human again. And if that's too hard for you, God, universe, whoever, at least let me help people with this. Let me be a hero._

As if something had been listening, her phone beeped — a text from Hleuco.

[Urgent. I've found a new lead. Come to the factory ASAP.]

My heart thudded. This was my chance; I had to take it. I switched to my smartphone and messaged Sera.

[We need to meet Hleuco now. Make up a reason to leave.]

Sera replied as she took a bite of cake with her other hand.

[Got it.]

Chair scratching against the tile as she stood up, she said, "It's been nice to meet you all, but I need to leave and get set up for school tomorrow."

I stood up too. "I'm coming with you."

"It's okay; I don't want to make you leave your friends."

"No, I promised I'd help you."

"We should have asked before dropping in like this," Katy apologized.

"Yeah, go with her and maybe we can celebrate later and go out to dinner or to the arcade."

I nodded. "Thanks for understanding. We'll definitely celebrate later."

After I hugged the girls goodbye, Sera standing awkwardly to the side, we walked outside to her car, a forest green jeep. _Cake and Mom avoided, success._

"One sec," Sera said as she headed toward a large bush at the side of the building.

Curious, I followed her. With both hands, she held back her long icy-blonde hair and bent over, throwing up with a calm expression and a practiced grace that I never knew possible for such an activity. In a minute, she had emptied the contents of her stomach into the plant and stood up, wiping her mouth.

"Super-puking-girl, the hero the world never wanted and the envy of all bulimics," Sera said with a smirk.

I giggled. "Teach me, oh great one."

"Of course I will, what kind of terrible sidekick would I be if I didn't?"

—

Our legs dangled off the roof of the abandoned factory, the city spread out below us as we waited for our wings. Footsteps echoed behind us, and the door hinge creaked, rusted over from years of neglect.

"Who are you?" Hleuco demanded, reaching for his taser.

I leapt up, his reaction unanticipated. "It's okay, she's a friend, she's like me."

He retracted his hand, the plague doctor mask obscuring his features. "There's more?"

"There aren't many of us," Sera said, an ornate silver party mask fitted over her face, jaggedly torn off below her nose. "I was looking for her, and I got lucky."

"Why didn't you tell me about this, Blank Face?"

"Didn't have time, she just showed up today."

"I see. And you want to join us? It's a thankless task, fighting crime in the shadows. We have nothing to offer you, the public hates us, and it's dangerous."

"I don't need money, I don't care what people think, and I can deal with danger."

"Then why?"

"Why do you do it?"

"Justice. I'm sick of seeing these crooked cops being paid off and criminals running free. It's not right. I can't even do my job anymore because of it. What about you?"

"I'm not sure exactly. Redemption, maybe? Wanting to help someone like me?"

"Well, you better be damn sure you want to do this."

"I am."

He let out a breath. "So what's special about you? What can you do?"

"Same as her," Sera motioned to me, "though I'm not as strong. I have some other abilities too."

"Like what?"

She scratched her head. "Uh, how to explain this. Maybe it's better if I just show you?"

He nodded. "Go for it."

Pulling up the sleeves up her jacket, she clicked a button on a chunky black bracelet, wincing as red spilled out from underneath. Unlike usual, the blood didn't appeal to me, didn't register as edible in my mind. Instead of dripping onto the ground, the blood seemed to defy physics and crawl across her hand, forming itself into a glove which extended up to her elbow as more blood was recruited.

She clicked the button again. "That should be enough." After she said that, the blood moved again, coagulating in her palm and then spreading out like a web into the shape of a broadsword, the gaps in the web filling with blood until it formed a complete blade. Sera flicked the blade with a flourish. "I can make it into whatever I want, though I usually go for this and some armor."

Hleuco stumbled back, struggling for words. "What... how..."

I would've echoed him but my voice wasn't working right; I was transfixed, unable to move or make a sound.

"Simple, I use my psychic energy to resonate with my energy signature in my blood and tell it what do."

_How is that simple?_

"I don't understand but, wow, that's amazing," I said.

"Explain this," he paused, searching for the word and coming up short, "magic stuff."

Sera crossed her arms. "It's not magic. We have a mutation that allows us to use our psychic energy as a weapon. Just because we don't completely understand how it works yet doesn't mean it's magic."

I need her to teach me how to lie like that too.

"Psychic energy?"

"Lifeforce, prana, chi, energy, whatever you want to call it."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Isn't that dangerous, to use your lifeforce like that? Wouldn't that hurt you?"

She shrugged. "Does it hurt you to run and jump and lift weights?"

"Yes." He chuckled. "So you can get this energy back?"

"With food and rest."

Sera conveniently forgot to mention the rather singular nature of their diet.

"Do you have any other abilities?" he asked.

"Those are the main ones."

He continued with the interrogation. "How do you know all this?"

"I worked with scientists and they studied me."

"What happened to them?"

Her eyes flickered to the side, avoiding his gaze. "We had a... disagreement."

"Can A-, uh, Blank Face, do this not-magic thing too?" Hleuco said

Sera shook her head. "No, but she should have her own ability. Maybe she just hasn't figured out how to use it yet."

"I have an ability?" Was she lying about this too?

Sera tapped her head. "Hmm, how do I do it? Try this: close your eyes and feel it."

"Feel what?"

"Your power."

_But how am I supposed to do that?_ Even knowing that nothing would come of her moronic advice, I tried anyway. The world went black as I shut my eyes to it, the cruel wind dulled by my parka, their voices unintelligible as I directed my thoughts away into the inky depths of my consciousness.

There was only blackness here — as I thought, her advice was stupid and this whole endeavor pointless. Something brushed against me, a tendril, and I felt it, felt it deeper than anything I'd felt before, deeper than the wind beating against my jacket, deeper than the pain of being mauled and eaten alive, inches from death, deeper than the desire to fix this broken city and prove myself, and deeper than my fear of failing at it all. It was as if it originated from the core of my being. I reached for it, and it reached back.

"Ow, fuck," Sera shouted.

I opened my eyes. A black tendril extended from my outstretched hand, sharpened to a thin point and dripping with blood.

Sera clutched her side and gave me a thumbs-up. "I knew you'd figure it out."


	4. Interlude - Astrid

"This childish game of yours needs to stop, Ein," I said.

The man in a gray coat looked away from his notes, one hand reaching down to pet the dull brown hair of the pale girl sitting as his feet. Nolla, the girl, stared blankly ahead, the dim lighting of the makeshift lab reflecting in her eyes and revealing the emptiness beneath.

"If you continue to refuse my request, I will stop making the drugs for her and take the Blue Moon myself."

He thrust a hand into his pocket and aimed a small cylinder at me, finger hovering over the trigger, a glowing purple touch recognition scanner. Though I hadn't cracked it yet, I was getting close._ And once I do, you'll be my blood slave until the day you die._ "Ask me one more time and I'll blow your head off. Not even you can come back from that."

Alerted by her master's voice, Nolla leapt up into a fighting stance, her tendrils waving threateningly in the cramped quarters.

My mouth watered, and I felt my pupils dilating as I imagined torrents of his blood gushing down my throat. _Soon._ "Have you forgotten what we're trying to do here? How are we ever going to progress if you won't let us study a type two?"

"But what about our work with the type ones and threes?" a small, female voice said from the corner.

"Shut the fuck up, Tatiana," I said, my hunger growing. "You should be grateful you're even alive. No one made me lug your body all the way to Russia and get a type one to turn you."

"Don't act like you did this out of charity. You needed one of us to continue our work, and Eric's body was burnt too badly to be of any use to you. I never wanted immortality, and especially not like this." Webbed, gnarled red patches of skin bulged around Tatiana's eyes, the only uncovered part of her face, and silver claws poked out through the ends of her long, black gloves.

Stalking over to her, I grabbed her by the waist and felt ribs beneath a thin layer of skin and sinew. "You better start eating more, or I'll lock you up. There's no way I'm risking you going berserk again."

"Well you should have thought about that before you turned me into a goddamn monster," she spat.

I let go, and she dropped to the floor, curling up in pain and hunger.

"Any progress on locating Sera?" Ein said.

At the mention of her name, I clenched my fist so hard my veins popped out. _That bitch._ She had taken everything from me in one fell swoop, and now my plan had been set back at least one hundred years, and likely much more than that. And that wasn't even the worst of it — the last thing Aurora predicted is that Sera would kill the world eater and destroy the earth. Thanks to Sera, the apocalypse had been moved up forty years. I had to stop her as soon as possible.

I tossed the chess piece in the air — a red knight. "No, she's completely gone off the grid. Probably has a fake id, fake everything. My program can't find her, not on the traffic cameras, not on anything. But she can't keep it up forever; we'll find her, eventually."

"We can't let her meet the Blue Moon."

"Yeah, I know." That would be the worst-case scenario.

"The Sycul won't pierce through her armor, and she's immune to heat. We don't have any good weapons to defeat her."

"Yes, we do." I said. "We have me. I never taught her all my tricks, and I should be the one to do it. I can win."

He shook his head. "It's too risky. She's not stupid — if you lose, she won't make the mistake of not making sure you're dead a second time."

"Well, no need to worry about that now. We have to find her first." I twisted a wiry black strand of hair around my finger. "Do we have any Amplifiers left?"

His eyes widened. "Yes, but... You remember what happened last time, right?"

"What of it?"

"But you'd go berserk. A type three like you going berserk... It'd be a repeat of Casablanca."

"Sacrifice a few million lives to save a few billion. Not a hard question; it's simple math."

"Who knows if you'd even go after her though? And she'd probably just run away."

_That is a problem._ "If only we could control the berserk state somehow."

"The military and government aren't backing us anymore." The squalid, two-story house was a far cry from the high tech BioPsi lab I had been working in months ago. "Your hacking can't get us enough money to research a new Amplifier."

"You're right, that's not an option. If I didn't have to search for Sera all day, I could take more jobs and get us a better setup."

Ein scribbled an illegible note into his tablet. "What about Limiters? How many of those do we have?"

"Enough, but injecting her would be the hard part. You have to get close."

He scratched out the note. "Does she sleep?"

"Unlikely," I said, "she barely slept before." _And after what she did, I doubt she'd be able to._

Leaning back in his chair, he clicked off the tablet and put it on the desk. "That's all I have for now."

"We still have time. Keep thinking." I got up from my computer. "Watch my program, I'm going to eat." I yanked Tatiana's arm, dragging her off the floor. "You're coming with me."

"No," she growled, ripping free of my grip and scoring several gashes on the inside of my arm. I summoned my power, letting the corrosive acid collect in my palm. The smell of fear radiated off her and she froze, knowing the special variety of pain of your nerves being burned off and devoured. "Don't make me do this," I said.

She didn't fight me this time and followed me downstairs.

"Bring the bleach in ten," I called out behind me, ready to vent my frustration and fill my stomach. "We'll need it."


	5. 004 - Sink or Swim

My side throbbed right in the place where my kidney would be, if I was human.

The dark thread extending from Alexis' hand dissolved, and she rushed over to me. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to… sorry."

"I'm fine, it's no big deal." My wound tingled and went numb, the hole stitching itself up. "Just a major stab wound, nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Alexis said as she bent over, pulling in deep breaths between each word.

"I am. Don't worry, you'll get better at controlling it. It's like a muscle."

"Tired," she finally spat out.

"Yeah, it can be draining."

"Will this get better too?"

"Once you become more efficient, it will." I tugged up the hem of my shirt and wiped away the blood, exposing smooth, alabaster skin. "See? Good as new."

A paper bag from DcMonald's had fallen from Hleuco's hand, a few greasy, cardboard sticks commonly known as fries scattered around him like fallen soldiers. "Your guts is not what I wanted to see right before eating lunch." As he bent down, he scooped the burger and fry box back into the crinkly bag, leaving behind a few stragglers on the pavement. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"Nah, there's much worse than that."

I balanced two syringes in my palm, and I offered one to Hleuco. "In case she loses control again, jab her with this."

The other one, I handed to Alexis. "You may need this."

"And I might need it too," I said under my breath, knowing she would hear.

"What's this?" Hleuco examined the giant needle, the clear liquid inside shifting as he tilted it in his hand.

"A high powered tranquilizer, specifically formulated to knock us out quickly. Be careful with it, I don't have that many of them."

He fitted the tranq into a free spot in his utility belt. "Ever since the Halloween Riots, the people have been asking for a real witch trial out of you, Blank Face. If we don't put a stop to them in the next few days, the governor may send in the National Guard."

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"Temple Street, that's where it all started, the location of the first riot. That night, the police arrested members from nearly every single gang in the Eye. However, one gang in particular was not affected — and I strongly suspect that gang was behind it all."

Hleuco tossed a duffle bag to Blank Face. "A new costume, thought you might need it after what happened to the last one."

"Sorry, but I don't have one for you," he apologized.

I shrugged. "Don't need one, anyway."

"True. By the way, what should I call you?"

"Red Knight."

"Fitting."

I'd always been the type to call things like they were, so I never had felt the need for an elaborate title. Generally, I prefer not to have one at all, but this situation kinda required it.

"Which gang is it?" Blank Face asked.

"Styx. And through my investigation, I discovered they have a big shipment due tonight. Our job is to make sure that shipment never gets where it's supposed to go."

"How do you know this?" I asked.

"Let's just say I have connections in a wide variety of places, some of those places more savory than others."

_How do I know you're not one of those fake cops too?_ I refrained from expressing any further suspicion. _For now, I'll have to do an investigation of my own. _

—

A few stories below was a supposed auto-repair shop, supposed because the exterior featured no sign that might indicate its title, owner, purpose, or affiliation. Heavy metal and classic rock booming from the speakers inside, neon red lights outlining the edges of the building, men lying under motorcycles on black-and-white checkered tile, twisting the gears and refilling the tanks, bandanas around their necks black with grease, and bags being passed between them all and stuffed into various compartments of the vehicles — it all added up to create the illusion of an auto-repair shop, and a very convincing one, at that. But we knew what it really was — just an illusion.

I crouched down, my leg muscles coiled and ready, and flung myself out of the third floor of the darkened office and through the glass pane, many tiny shards scattering around me as if I had jumped through a waterfall. Right before I hit the ground, I let out the flames at my feet, opposing the downward force at the last possible second. Blank Face landed next me with an oof.

How strong were her bones? Mine would have fractured in several places from a fall at this height. _I guess that's the difference between me and a type two._

A cluster of men exited the garage of the shop, each wearing heavy, black leather jackets emblazoned with various colorful and menacing patches. The pack split up, each taking to their own motorcycles and revving the engines.

"Six guys on motorcycles," I reported. "That's them right? The Ferrymen?"

According to Hleuco, the Ferrymen were the grunts of Styx's gang, delivering goods to whoever needs or wants them.

"Yes, follow them," he said over the earpiece.

At his orders, we chased them along the adjacent rooftops, running so fast it was more like flying, the wind almost painful at this speed. Finally, one of them split off from the group, heading down a sidestreet.

We watched from the edge of the rooftop as he approached a young girl probably no older than Alexis. With a series of hand signals, I motioned a countdown.

_Three. _

_Two. _

_One. _

In sync, we dove off the edge of the building, Blank Face landing between him and the girl, and I, between him and the exit. I didn't give him a chance to get his gun as I immediately tackled and restrained him, pinning him against the brick wall.

I grinned at the girl, letting my fangs slide out of my gums where they normally hid. "Don't do drugs, kid."

As she screamed and ran away, a van screeched to a halt at the mouth of the alley, Hleuco. I picked up the ferryman and tossed him unceremoniously inside as Blank Face closed the door.

"Don't hurt me," he pleaded. "It's hard on the streets, I'm just surviving, man."

I seized the chain on his neck, pulling him up, holding it tight. He gurgled, flailing his arms and scrambling to loosen my grip, but I wouldn't let him gain an inch. "This is just surviving? What, did you miss a payment on your rent? Had to scrounge through the trash for food one time? You don't understand what it's like to truly struggle, to be hunted down for what you are and forced to do terrible things just to get your next meal. No one made you do this, you piece of shit. You're no victim."

"Stop!" Blank Face's voice cut through the red haze clouding my mind. "You're strangling him."

I looked down; she was right. I let go. He rubbed his neck and gasped for breath.

"Tell me what I want to know or I'll cut off your fingers and make you eat them like chicken wings."

"Two-eleven, is two-eleven, that's what you want," he blubbered.

"Slower."

"The cargo, that's where they're keeping it. In van number two-eleven, near the back of the yard."

My ears perked up as I listened to his heart rate. Fast, but steady — he was telling the truth.

"All right, let's take care of him and head over there."

"Wait," he blurted out, the rest of his words cutting off as I wrapped my arms around his neck and slowed the blood flow to his brain just long enough to knock him out.

—

"You think it's okay to leave him there?" Blank Face said.

"Police will find him in a few minutes chained up to that pole with a bag of coke on his lap and put him in a nice, comfy jail cell. Don't see a problem here."

Blank Face rubbed her hands, silent as we stopped in front of a van, numbers painted in red onto the front.

"There are people inside," I stated.

"How can you tell?"

"Their auras, I can feel them." They sang to me, humming of life, a siren song. "So there it is, we made it to the promised land. Van two-one-one. Would you like to do the honors?"

"Sure," she strode ahead with a swagger, ready to shatter the flimsy lock. A metallic clatter and a curse, and the broken lock was at her feet.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Ah, ow, I think I dislocated my shoulder."

I tried to stifle my giggles, but as usual, was unsuccessful. "How did you manage that?"

"Dunno, I'm not exactly used to having super strength yet," she said in an asperous tone as we went inside.

Around twenty people crowded the interior of the dingy van. Blank Face sat down in front of a small boy. "Do you know English?" she asked. The boy looked at her.

"Let me try," I said. "Inglés?"

"No," said the boy.

"Sé un poco español. Cómo se llama?"

"Nino."

"Que es esto?" I motioned to the throng of people inside.

"Vamos a Florida a trabajar en los huertos. Los hombres de las barcas dijeron que nos llevarían, pero no se nunca más. Nos lastimaron y a veces las personas desaparecen."

"Un segundo." I held up a finger and turned to Blank Face. "He says the ferrymen were supposed to be taking them to Florida, but it doesn't seem like that's where they were going. The ferrymen hurt them and locked them up, and he said some people have been taken away."

"Horrible," Blank Face said. "What should we do?"

"I have an idea." I turned back to the boy. "Voy a," Unable to think of the Spanish equivalent, I dragged my finger across my neck like a knife, "los hombres de las barcas." I held out a hand, gesturing for them to stay. "Vuelvo."

The boy nodded, fidgeting.

"Que? Hablar."

"No es nada."

I didn't believe him, the scent of fear was too strong. Blank Face was still beside me, clutching her arm. "Still hasn't healed?"

She shook her head.

"Let me fix it." I sat down and gently took her arm, moving it around to feel the joint until I found the right spot, and once I did, I popped the shoulder back into the socket with a click.

A little too late, I felt a presence behind me and saw her draw back.

_Fuck_, I thought as the bat connected with my skull and knocked me into an empty dream.


	6. 005 - Burn the Midnight

Eyes rolling back, Sera fell to the side and slumped against the wall, sliding down, her head bouncing against the false-wood, laminate floor.

_Shit. That wasn't supposed to happen. What do I do?_

I locked eyes with the man with a bat, ready to pounce, when a series of loud noises alerted me to the front of the vehicle. The already tight space became even more claustrophobic as two men barged inside and approached me, blocking the two doors — my only escape routes. After daring a second look at the grizzled, bat-wielding man, I swiveled my head to survey my options. There weren't many. In fact, there was only one. _Fight. _

My gaze drifted to Sera, her body lying motionless, _was she even breathing?_ as I mentally willed her to get up. It didn't work. Unfortunately, my psychic powers were limited to controlling stabby things made of darkness.

_Right, I can do that now. _With a deep breath, I tried to slow my thudding heart as I called for the tendrils. They didn't come. I kept calling for them, trying to remember how it felt when I first summoned them.

_Any moment_, I thought as the men drew nearer, almost to me now. That darkness, I couldn't reach it, and each new try was more frenzied than the last. I clawed at it and it fled into the cavernous recesses of my insides. I was surrounded, outnumbered, with my only weapons being my fists and my abnormal (or normal, depending on how you look at it) strength. _If only I had remembered today to bring the knife mom got me as a birthday gift a few years back._ Mom said it was for self-defense, though this situation probably wasn't what she had in mind. _Well, if I survive, I'll never forget to bring it again. _

Tearing away from my thoughts, I realized a brown cylindrical object was moving toward my position, fast. A second too late, I tilted my body away and the bat connected with my freshly re-injured shoulder. Shudders of pain pulsated up my neck in barbed, tiny threads and I let out a howl, charging forward and pushing Gristle-face into the wall. The wooden bat rolled across the floor and the footsteps of the other two men sounded behind me.

A fist pummeled my ear and I stumbled, the world muffled and swaying as a tinny ring played above it all. Dark curtains covered my vision, and I knew it to be the hood of my jacket by the texture. They tied something heavy around my throat, cold, metal, and I thrashed to no avail, my limbs only meeting the air and glimpsing the mysterious attackers. Finally my arm connected with a meaty thud on one of the several men holding me down and the coil around my neck loosened slightly. Someone else picked up the slack faster than I could make use of it, and an engine revved close by, followed by a symphony of more motorcycle engines accompanied by screeching, virtuosic guitars and raw, brutal vocals.

Click.

Right after this, I learned in the worst way possible that this was the sound of a chain fastening to a vehicle — a vehicle soon to be a moving one, and with me attached to it.

I thought I could break these chains. After all, I had broken the same kind earlier today to get into the RV, though I injured my shoulder. But I didn't take into account that the lack of oxygen made it ten times harder to do anything. Even knowing that I was probably wasting precious air supply, I struggled to pried away the chain as the motorcycle accelerated, my skin scraping against the sandpaper ground which turned to razors as it continued to speed up.

For a short moment, I felt weightless and I wondered if maybe I'd just woken up from a bad dream. Then gravity hurled me toward the pavement with a crack. I screamed, the pain enticing me to hurl, but in a different way. My body thudded repeatedly against the asphalt, like when you lean your head against the bus window, but instead of leaning, someone is smashing you against the glass and it keeps breaking again and again and again and again.

The ground rose and fell, blue now like the wakes behind a yacht, rough from Katy's reckless driving. Those were the days, me and María gripping tight onto a tube connected to the boat by a measly rope as Katy drove at breakneck speed, desperately trying to throw us off. _Wait, were?_ There should be a lot more summers ahead of me. Is this what they mean about your life flashing before your eyes? _Am I dying? _

I had already died once, and I did not want to repeat that experience, especially not so soon. Today, for the first time since I'd been turned into this, I'd seen a ray of hope. I'd captured it, took it to my room, framed it. I was Alexis, a girl with family, friends, and not enough time spent on this earth. I was the Blue Moon; I had a power that few would ever witness or experience. I was Blank Face, the entire world in front of me, the future an empty canvas. And I knew what I wanted to fill it with. Not the picture of an unlucky girl, mauled and thrown into a ditch by a gang. Not a monster, but a hero.

And what do heroes do? They don't give up.

With renewed vigor, I summoned the last of my strength and waited. Waited for that next bump, for the chains to loosen slightly, to get leverage, to make every last bit of strength count.

My back left the ground and with a roar, I tore through the chains around my neck. The numbers added up — I was stronger than I thought. Before he could speed away, I lunged forward and pulled the chain taut, digging in my heels. My tormentor pitched forward head first, unable to resist the opposite force that suddenly brought the motorcycle to a halt. Channeling the momentum, I swung the chain and let go. Relieved of its owner, the contraption skidded across the pavement with a metallic screech until it met an obstacle in its warpath, a parked van. With a bang, the two collided, neither unscathed.

Dizziness brought me to my knees and as I pulled off my hood, I realized my heels had made grooves in the pavement. I gasped, sucking in the crisp, life-giving air. I didn't have long to appreciate how cool what I did was, because the rest of the ferry fuckers were hot on his tail — and now their attention was directed at me.

Hand pushing against bended knee, I tried to stand up. "Tried" being the key word, as the dizziness forced me back down. Once again, I faced the road. Ignoring the approaching cavalcade, I counted the yellow dotted lines separating the two lanes. _At least I went out doing something cool. _Most people couldn't say that. _And I took out one of them too. _

In the corner of my eye, I noticed something strange. One motorcycle no longer had a rider. It was if he was there one second, and the next, gone, the vehicle dropping away right after. A blur. Another one disappeared too. _What was happening? Am I hallucinating? _

The man at the front of the pack shouted and swiveled his head, swerving as he did so. Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice the bodysnatching. This time, two men vanished at once, and I caught a blur of red right before everything turned bright and loud. When I opened my eyes, the ferrymen were gone. All that was left were cindering hunks of metal and a silhouette sheathed in flames.

A draft blew from the shadow's direction, delivering the nectarous scent of crimson honey. And I had a sweet tooth. Two of them, to be exact.

The shadow stepped forward, a broken crimson mask barely visible through the red haze. "Sorry, I'm late."

My gums ached, the buffeting wind chilling my teeth to the roots, the upper parts especially not used to being exposed. Of course I recognized her, the bringer of delicious treats. Once again, it seems she has come through. If she forgot the syrup, that's okay, okay, _okay_. Though her veins weren't as enticing, why was it so hard to remember the nice girl's name?, Sera— that's it. Sera, Sera, her blood would taste more like salad than a chocolate cake. But a salad still fills the stomach, and waiting for the perfect meal didn't seem like an option anymore and the girl, SERA, I reminded myself, was like me and she would definitely understand…

"I have something for you."

Oh good, no nasty not-so-green juice. I would never eat diet food — not as a sporty teen and for sure not now as a vampiric monster.

My tongue heavy and thick in my mouth "Thankth."

I felt a sharp sting at the side of my neck.

_Was it a buzz-buzz? A small stingy insect has got me, and I don't know what it's called? A see? A tree? No that's not it… why am I…? _

"Goodnight, Blank Face."


	7. 006 - John 6:53-58

I had been listening to the languid, steady rhythm for the past two hours as I sat on the floor of the forsaken church, back leaning against the wooden wall of the confessional. Hleuco and I didn't bother with pretenses, neither of us willing to put forth effort to maintain even a slight conversation. As I continued to listen, waiting, the events that led us up to this less than ideal situation played on repeat in my mind. _Did we win?_ Yeah, but it sure didn't feel like it.

I rolled the metal bottle between my hands. It was light, empty, not even a drop left. _Ill-prepared, unlike me. _I've been off my game ever since I left BioPsi, to put it mildly, ever since Aurora told me about her vision. _She must've been lying, her power on the fritz again. I'd never do that. _

The drone in the back of my mind fluttered, picking up pace. Alexis. I jumped up.

"What are you doing?"

"Just checking on her. Guard the door."

He nodded.

I entered the confessional and closed the door behind me. Alexis was sitting now, her head snapping to me, pupils wide and unfocused. _This was my fault. _My fingers pressed the button of the bloodletting bracelet encircling my right wrist, and I grimaced as the blade popped out and dug in.

She stood up, but didn't approach, whatever conscious she still retained fighting for control.

"Can you see me?" If she could, she didn't give any indication of it.

After over fifty years of neglect, the pews were rotted, the stained glass had shattered and covered the floor in red, blue, and green specks, and the baptism pool had crumbled away. Who knows how many years it had been since that stone had been wet? There was no water here, and certainly no priests. The only baptism today would be made in blood.

Since she hadn't accepted my offering, I brought myself closer, letting the juice of my veins collect in my palm. If this was a horror movie, I might be scared, the way her now-black eyes pierced through her straight black hair and contrasted against her pallid skin. But this wasn't a horror movie and even if it was, we were the monsters. All we had to fear was ourselves.

_What are you, some kind of saint?_ _How could she resist when she's in such a state? Maybe I'm not helping her, maybe I'm corrupting her instead_, I thought as I forced the blood down her throat. She didn't fight me, following the river of blood to its source.

"It's okay." I soothed, cupping her head with my other hand.

I felt the hunger too, but this was nothing. I could handle this. I had endured far worse when I worked for BioPsi.

She wiped her mouth right as Hleuco barges in.

"She's awake," I announced.

"I see that."

"What… happened?" Alexis looked around. "Where are we, a church?"

"Yes, we needed to get you somewhere safe, fast, and this abandoned church happened to be nearby. As for what happened, I'm curious about that too. Sera, would you mind explaining?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. Hopefully, what I was going to say would appease him. "Before I caught up to her, the ferrymen dealt a lot of damage. If we use our power too much in a short period of time, we go berserk. Her having to regenerate so much initiated that state, which is why I tranqed her."

He crossed his arms. "And she's alright now?"

"Does she look berserk to you?"

"Not particularly. It would have been nice if you'd informed me of this earlier."

"We were pressed for time. I didn't think we'd have to use it yet."

"What would've happened if we didn't have the tranquilizers?"

"She would have attacked anyone nearby until the berserk state ran out."

"And how long would that take?"

"Ten minutes, tops."

"That's not so bad."

"It doesn't take ten minutes to kill a man."

He went silent for a moment, his bird-like mask eerie in the dim light peeking through the cracks in the ceiling. "Can you get any more of these?"

"No, so be careful with them." If only I had thought to pilfer a few more before I sent that nightmarish facility up in flames.

"Is there any way to snap out of it?" Alexis said, her eyes returning to normal, cheeks flushed.

"Just the one." _Blood, the sole requirement to our continued existence._

"I'm sorry." Her voice wobbled. "I made you waste one."

"Don't apologize. I'm the one who fucked up. I shouldn't have let my guard down. If I hadn't been knocked out for a minute then this wouldn't have happened." My jaw tightened at the thought.

"So what now?" Hleuco said.

"I think we should take a week off," I said.

"I agree."

I turned to Alexis. "You free after school this week?"

"School? You're young."

_Shit. Why did I say that? _Something strange drew my attention: his heart beat a steady rhythm despite his apparent surprise. Maybe my slip of the tongue was for the better. "You didn't know that?"

"No — well, I had my suspicions. She _is_ rather small."

His heart rate spiked up for just a second, a marker Sera had been trained to recognize as a marker of lying. _What is he hiding? _And more importantly, how should she get it out of him? "What do you know about her?"

He didn't answer immediately. "Not much. She's the Blue Moon, and she has the same crazy power that you do."

"Do you know her identity?"

"No," he said.

His heart fluttered; he was lying. _This is bad._ What if he had tipped the ferrymen off? What if he sets her up in the future? I'd have to let her know as soon as we left. _I need to figure out if he's really a crooked cop, and if so, if he's working against us._ _Then make sure he never gets that chance again._

"Okay. So are you doing anything after school this week?"

"No, I'm free," she said. "Why?"

"Good, I'll pick you up then. I want to train you before we attempt to do this hero thing again. Hell, I could use some practice too."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah." I pushed my fist into my other hand. "Get ready."


	8. 007 - Leap of Faith

Trees swayed in the slight breeze and I watched the leaves swirl in the air as I propped my head against the glass. After a month in this class, I knew just the right angle to tilt my eyes out of the sun while still being able to watch below me. Colorful mosaics designed by students surrounded the goose-shaped fountain in the courtyard. Our mascots were the Aqua Bats, but apparently they used to be the Fighting Geese. Those were dark times. Whoever came up with the former mascot was probably assassinated sometime in the last hundred years. Unfortunately, the current student body couldn't avenge the loss of the school's reputation. My enemies, I mean opponents, would taunt us with the chicken dance at every single volleyball game. Just the thought increased my blood pressure.

The teacher ambled from his desk to the front of the room, clearing his throat. "It's nine A.M., and you know what that means."

"That it's too damn early," muttered a guy in the back just loud enough for the students to hear but not Mr. K. Low laughter spread through the room.

"Alex, bring your backpack up here."

He grumbled at the prospect of being relegated to the special chair again. "But I didn't do anything."

"Then what is everyone laughing at?"

"My incredibly entertaining personality."

"Come here right now or I'll write you up."

"Look," Maria nudged me, "your favorite eye candy, right on display."

"I don't have a crush on him!" I whispered as harshly as I could. "How many times do I have to tell you this?"

"But he's the quarterback."

"So?"

"He's going to play football in college, which means he'll be famous, which means he'll be rich," she said, as if I was missing the most obvious thing in the world.

"You make good points," I admitted, "but I don't really like him. He's annoying. And I doubt he'd like me either."

"It's a shame what happened to Brandon. He was nice. I couldn't believe he'd do something like that."

"Everyone has secrets."

"Yeah." She picked at her nail polish. "I wish we could go on another double date."

Pretending to pay attention, I thumbed over to the next page in my textbook. "Is that the reason you're trying to set me up?"

Maria didn't bother pretending, instead applying the second layer of cherry gloss to her full lips. "I was also thinking it might help you get over your heartbreak."

"My heart is fine, but thanks for the concern. I just don't want to date anyone right now." And besides, he looked like a brick. A blonde brick. I don't understand how anyone finds that attractive.

Maria raised a perfectly angled brow. "Sound like what a heartbroken girl would say."

"Stop teasing her," Katy hissed.

"Okay-" she started to reply before the teacher cut us off.

"Before we get started today, I have an announcement. We have a new student in our class."

Right as he finished the sentence, the door flew open and in stepped an all-too-familiar, platinum-haired, grey-eyed, vampire.

"And there she is." He turned to her. "I know it's your first day, but please be on time in the future."

"Sorry," she yawned, covering her mouth, "I'm still getting used to the time zone."

"There's a free seat in the back row. I'm sure the previous occupant won't mind."

Alex glowered at that statement, but strategically held his tongue, an action I thought him incapable of doing. Nevermind him, what was she doing here? How did she know where I went to school? How did she even get registered? Don't you have to live in the district for a certain amount of time and have all these forms?

Maybe she mind-controlled them. Wait, can we do that? Oh my God. I could make sure Maria never said anything to me about Alex again. No, that would be wrong. I will only use my vampire mind control for good. I really hope I have mind control.

Danger signs flashed in my brain as she approached. Please don't talk to me. Please don't, please don't, please… Sera sprinted over to me and wrapped me in a hug.

"Let go, you're embarrassing me."

She relinquished her grip. "You're going to be my personal tour guide today," she said as she sat down and opened her bag.

"Can't wait," I said, imbuing my words with every ounce of enthusiasm I had, which was none.

The remaining duration of the class I spent staring at the ancient analog clock on the wall, waiting for the ticking hands to approach the time when I'd be able to figure out why Sera was here and how to make her leave. Occasionally, I would glance behind me to check on my stalker, who always seemed to be deeply absorbed in the notes she was scribbling.

I sprang from my seat the instant the bell rang and stomped over to her desk. To my displeasure, Maria had beat me to her, having the advantage of a closer seat. She stared at the notebook in her hand and giggled.

Katy peered over her shoulder, her face screwing up. "How scandalous."

"I think it's fine. I mean, that famous Micheal guy sculpted a naked dude, dick and all."

"Michelangelo," said Sera and Katy simultaneously.

"The statue of David," Katy added, glaring at Sera. Knowing how competitive she was, she was probably mad at her for challenging her position as the smart one in the group. Probably one reason she tolerated us idiots. That was fine with me. I never cared too much about stuff like that. Sometimes I think Katy should be on the volleyball team, until I remember that spoiled girl couldn't even stand a drop of sweat tarnishing her makeup, much less her whole body being soaked in it. She was also clumsier than me, which was a feat in itself.

"Whatcha guys talking about?" said Piper from across the room.

"This is a B, C, D, E conversation. Go F yourself," Sera yelled back.

I didn't hear her reply between our howls of laughter, but she must not have been pleased, having quickly fled the room.

In the midst of the laugh-fest, Sera snatched the notebook from Maria and cradled it to her chest. "It's not inappropriate."

"She's just wearing a white bedsheet."

"It's a dress!" Sera scowled. "What kind of bedsheet drapes as beautifully as that?"

I shook my head.

"I'll never understand fashion," said Katy before I could. "And here I thought you were being studious."

"I was listening."

Intrigued, I dared a glance at the drawing in question. My face flushed as I gazed at the impossibly tall girl who looked like she was ripped straight from the pages of Vogue. The sheet, no, dress, hugged her figure in all the right places and a dangerously high slit exposed the majority of one, tanned leg. But the strangest thing of all was her face, or rather, the complete lack of one.

"What's wrong with her face?"

"She doesn't have one," Sera said. "She doesn't know who she is anymore."

"Huh," Maria said.

"Weird."

Before the conversation could draw on any longer, I interrupted, "I need to talk to you."

"Okay." She didn't seem surprised as she followed me to a neglected hallway at the top of the school formally called 4B but known by the students as the Belfry. We'd be late for the next class, but I wanted an explanation now and it's not like my grades could get much worse.

"So what do you want?"

"Why are you here?"

"You're starting with that? Not even a 'nice to see you' or a 'thanks for saving my ass yesterday'?"

"Are you trying to steal my friends, my life? Well, I'm not letting you. This is all I have left."

"Jesus, chill. I don't want to do that. Though you're right — you belong here." She looked away, eyes wandering to the corner of the deserted hall. "I don't."

"You seem to fit in just fine," I seethed, thinking of how fast my friends took to her. "Why are you here?"

"To keep an eye on you, obviously. Who knows what you'd get into without me around?"

"That's it? You must have no life."

Sera winced. "Ouch. We aren't actually dead, or undead, you know. Technically, I do have a life."

I rolled my eyes, unwilling to reply to her smartassery.

"But also, I never formally finished my education… and this was a chance to accomplish that."

"You didn't? Why not?"

Her brows drew together. "I thought I already said it. I was forced into the military when I was seventeen."

"Don't you have to be eighteen to join?"

"They make exceptions for freaks of nature."

"Wait, you didn't have a choice?"

"I guess I could've fought them."

"But you didn't."

"No."

I paused. "Why?"

Her shoulders drooped as she leaned against the wall. "It was the best option for me then. Like you before you met me, I was lost. I didn't know what was happening to me, and all that power — I couldn't control it. I hurt people, and without BioPsi's intervention, I would've hurt a lot more. Maybe even people I cared about, though I had already run from them. But I'm a weak person. Who's to say I wouldn't return to see my best friend, my family? Certainly not me."

"So that's why you joined?"

"Yes, and I did it without hesitation."

"I don't know if I could have done that." How could she call herself weak?

She straightened up and pressed her hand to my shoulder. "Life is hard. It rarely makes sense. Sometimes, it's downright paradoxical. Sometimes you have to give up what you love so you can save it."

"Does knowing make it any easier to deal with?" I asked.

With a shrug, she said, "A little. That was another things BioPsi gave me: answers. Even if I didn't like the answers, I'd rather have them than live in ignorance."

"Nerd," I whispered, realizing after the fact that she could hear me.

"Empty-headed jock," she said with a grin.

"Until now, I thought you had your shit together, that you always knew what to do. But you're just like me, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm figuring it out as I go just like everyone else — with some extra roadblocks."

We laughed.

"Sometimes I want to quit this whole hero thing," I admitted. "I mean, I'm not even good at it. Maybe it's better if I just run away and leave myself behind. Be someone else."

"You can't run from who you are. Accept it, or you'll never be able to control your power. The best thing that'll happen is you won't be able to use it."

"What's the worst?"

"It'll control you, make you destroy everything you love."

"But I don't want to be like this, a vampire."

"It's not what you are, it's what you do with it."

"Why would you ask me to believe in something when you don't even believe it yourself?"

"I may not believe it yet, but I'm trying."

A bell rang in the distance.

"I used to hate the word faith. I thought you could only believe in things you knew to be true, in things that have definitive proof, in things that are always certain. To say I had faith would have been the antithesis of my philosophy. But someone taught me that life itself is uncertain and sometimes you need a little faith to get you through it. He had faith in me and I, in him. I finally understood what that word meant and how beautiful it was."

"Who was he?"

"The person I loved most in the world."

"Where is he?"

"Dead."

"I'm… sorry."

"That is what war does — especially to humans." A red tear trickled down her cheek and she wiped it away. "He may be gone but I still carry his faith. And I carry others' too." Her face turned to steel. "I can't let them down."

I felt the burning feeling in my chest that I hadn't felt since I became the Blue Moon, since I ran out into the night all alone, and I remembered why I was doing this and why I had to. Shiori. Maria. Katy. Who else would fix this city plagued by gangs? Who would make it safe for them? No one had and no one would. It was up to me — no; it was up to us. "I'm not going to give up either. We're in this together. Let's do this."

"Hell yeah." She raised a fist and I met it with my own.

"But we've got to go to class first."

I groaned.


End file.
